Cleveland Indians reliever Bryan Shaw deserves benefit of the doubt

Reliever Bryan Shaw has seemed to draw the ire of fans this season, but hold up. The Cleveland Indians reliever has been pretty darn good.

We’re serious. We are going to defend Bryan Shaw, a pitcher that causes ulcers and high blood pressure across all of Cleveland multiple times a week. I get it. He’s sometimes volatile and sometimes doesn’t get it done. Bryan Shaw can be stressful to watch. But Bryan Shaw isn’t some hack reliever.

We aim to at least show that Shaw deserves a little bit more respect than creative hot takes.

Take for example that Shaw had only allowed a run in 4 of his 11 July appearances and 2 of his 16 appearances in June. He’s only given up multiple runs four times on the year, it’s just that a couple of those times came in July. On the year, he’s only sporting a 2.90 ERA, which is very solid for a reliever given how ERA’s can fluctuate week to week for relievers.. It’s not Andrew Miller like, but it is a number you can trust.

This is also a pitcher that is healthy and ready to go nearly every game. There is a saying in sports that the best ability is availability. Since coming to the Tribe in 2013, he’s gone to the mound for 70, 80, 74, and 75 appearances through the 2016 season. He’s already made 49 appearances in 2017. He hasn’t been plagued by arm issues like many Tribe starters. There has to be some credit given for that.

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OK, so Sunday in Chicago was tough to swallow, but they all have back games. Heck, even Miller has three losses on the year.

Entering July 30, Shaw ranked in the top 25 of all AL relievers in ERA, ahead of All-Star caliber hurler Dellin Betances. He ranks behind Andrew Miller, Cody Allen, Zach McAllister, and Nick Goody on the team, but this is also a bullpen that leads the AL in ERA. It’s not like it’s just Miller and Allen carrying the load. If it weren’t for Nick Goody’s emergence, Shaw would be the most reliable right hander for the middle innings like usual.

I get that you might still be hurt by Game 7 of the World Series, where the rain delay caused so much more harm to Shaw’s routine than folks want to talk about.

It hurts me too. We can start having meetings to share our feelings about the whole thing if we all need that.

The fact is that Bryan Shaw has not been as bad as we all make him out to be. It can be frustrating, because the bad is REALLY bad and it’s all been recent. But without Bryan Shaw, this bullpen has a hole in it. So lay off the guy a little bit.

Next: Santana surged through July

The Tribe might add a bullpen arm, but it won’t be to replace Shaw.